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[UPDATED] Ga. House approves resolution honoring gay Atlanta Freedom Bands

The Georgia Voice Editors
Georgia
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The Ga. House approved today a resolution honoring the Atlanta Freedom Bands, a day after a Republican lawmaker blocked a vote on the measure lauding the LGBT organization.

Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) initially blocked the resolution introduced by openly gay state Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), asking a vote be delayed until Friday.

Drenner told the AJC yesterday she was "not surprised" her resolution was blocked. While similar resolutions are routinely approved by the state House, lawmakers have balked at other efforts to honor gay organizations.

Gay state rep honors gay politician and lobbyist – only without the ‘gay’

The Georgia Voice Editors
Editorials
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Editor's note: State Rep. Karla Drenner has responded to this editorial. You can read her letter here.

The Georgia House of Representatives approved March 3 a resolution honoring Cathy Woolard, the state's first openly gay elected official. But despite being sponsored by our first openly gay state legislator, the resolution never uses the word "gay" and does not mention Woolard's historic first.

Woolard made history in 1997 when she was elected to the District 6 seat on the Atlanta City Council, becoming the first openly gay elected official in Georgia. She made history again in 2001, when she was elected Atlanta City Council president, the first woman and the first openly gay person to hold the post.

Guess which one of those milestones made it into the resolution approved by the Georgia House of Representatives earlier this month?